Reading Eagle: Jeremy Drey |
Chrissy Houlahan takes the stage for her speech during an Election Day party after her win in the 6th Congressional District. She and her supporters celebrated her 18 percentage point victory Tuesday night at Franklin Hall in Phoenixville, Chester County.

Reading officials welcome city's new congresswoman

Reading will soon have a new voice in Washington, and for the first time in a while that person will have a D beside her name.

On Tuesday, Chrissy Houlahan was elected to represent the new 6th District, which includes Reading and many southwestern communities in Berks County, by defeating Greg McCauley by 18 percentage points.

Her victory marks the first time since 2002 that Reading will be represented by a Democrat in Congress.

Rep. Tim Holden, a member of the Blue Dog Coalition of moderate Democrats, was the last member of his party†to†represent the city in Washington. Though he served in Congress until 2012, Reading was not part of his district for his last 10 years in office. Changes to congressional maps 16 years ago put Reading in Republican-dominated territory,†and the city has been represented†GOP congressmen ever since.

But that will change, thanks to Houlahan's win Tuesday.

"I'm thrilled to be representing Reading as well as other communities in Berks County," she said. "Reading has long been lumped in with representatives who haven't necessarily viewed the city as a top priority. But I'm very excited to have an opportunity to do better."

Reading went for Houlahan by a 5-1 margin over McCauley.

Houlahan, a Chester County Democrat who served as an Air Force officer and as a nonprofit executive, said that she will work for Reading and its people. She said she'll advocate for social justice, fight for affordable health care, promote a strong education system and work to lower taxes for those working hard to get ahead.

"These are the things that elevate people, these are the things that allow us to be highly functioning citizens," she said. "I'm a child of a refugee who came here as a Holocaust survivor with his mother when he was 5 years old. And the fact that I get to be a congresswoman and represent people like my dad is really, really important to me."

Reading welcomes her

Reading Mayor Wally Scott said that he has never met Houlahan but he welcomes the Democratic congresswoman to Reading.

"I'll give her a district office right here in City Hall," Scott said. "She's welcome to it free of charge."

It was the same offer Scott made to U.S. Rep. Lloyd Smucker, a Lancaster County Republican who has represented Reading and parts of western Berks County since 2017. Scott said that Smucker, who will represent Lancaster County and southern York County beginning in January, never took him up on the offer. Smucker held office hours in Reading City Hall once per month.

"I didn't really know the other guy either, but it sounds like she's someone we can work with and who will work for the city," Scott said of Houlahan.

Houlahan said she appreciates the offer for free office space but will have to investigate whether it meets ethics standards. Whether at City Hall or elsewhere, Houlahan promised that she will open an office in the city.

"We want to make sure we're representing the community and helping the people any way we can," she said.

Councilman John Slifko said that he campaigned for Houlahan in Reading.

"We are the largest municipality in her district and she is cognizant of that," Slifko said. "She is aware of our interests and is in tune with Reading's needs on a federal level, like community development, housing and urban development."

Councilwoman Donna Reed, who represents Riverside and other sections of northwest Reading, said that she has had fleeting meetings with Houlahan during the campaign and thinks Houlahan is uniquely qualified to represent the city.

"I've spoken to her on the fly and I've been very impressed with her background in the military, as an inner city teacher and as a businesswoman," Reed said. "She has enthusiasm. Smucker was a good guy but he didn't have the enthusiasm for urban issues that Chrissy has.

"I like the fact that she found time to visit Berks County on Election Day."

Houlahan visited the polling place at the Exeter Village Recreation Center, Reed said.